Stay on target

Things are looking up for DC. Not only does it have two hotly anticipated movies dropping in the next year (both of which look incredibly promising, by the way), but the Warner Bros.-owned comics brand continues to absolutely kill it on TV. Some of the most exciting stuff in superhero entertainment isn’t on the big screen. It’s happening with a much lower budget on The CW. The Arrowverse built out a complex and earnest comic book universe on TV. And if things go according to plan, it’s only going to expand further.

This year, the Arrowverse will add another superhero to its roster: Batwoman. The producers already announced that she would be introduced during this year’s four-show crossover with an eye toward getting her a series of her own. They also said they were hoping to cast a lesbian actor, as the character Kate Kane is a gay woman herself. Entertainment Weeklyreports that the universe has found its actor. Ruby Rose is joining The CW as Kate Kane this year.

If that name sounds familiar to you, it’s because Rose is a pretty big get for the network. You’ve seen her in Orange is the New Black,Pitch Perfect III,XXX: The Return of Xander Cage (the good one), and John Wick: Chapter Two. In the latter movie, she showed everyone she knows her way around a fight scene. That alone makes me want the Batwoman series to happen so bad. CW, you better not screw us out of this. And yes, Rose is gay and has spoken candidly about coming out as gender fluid. She’ll bring an authenticity to the role that’s crucial for a character like Kane, who had her military career derailed when she refused to lie about a relationship with another student.

If the series gets picked up, it’ll be the first live-action TV series led by an LGBT superhero. For now, we can all hope The CW sees how much we want the show to happen. Until then, we can’t wait for our first look at Batwoman in the annual Arrowverse crossover this December.

via DC Comics

With Batwoman joining the family, it raises the question of whether we’ll ever see her more famous cousin. Her show will take place in Gotham City, after all. Batman definitely exists in the Arrowverse too, having been mentioned in both Arrow and Supergirl. If the Arrowverse adds a show that takes place in Gotham City, won’t they have to show Batman at some point. The answer, of course, is no. CinemaBlend reports that CW president Mark Pedowitz had a fairly definitive answer.

“There’s no discussion about a series. Batman already exists in the Arrowverse because last season Oliver Queen mentioned his name at one point. And Batwoman, if the series goes forward, lives in Gotham. There’s no plan at this time to have Batman appear,” he said. Good. If the series does get picked up, we need to get to know Batwoman on her own terms. The last thing the show needs is a bigger name hogging the spotlight… er, bat signal.

So, how do they get around having a series set in Gotham without showing Batman? Well, it’s a big city. The Dark Knight rarely shows up in Batwoman comics, so it’s possible he’s off doing his own bat-thing. Or the Arrowverse could use its multiple Earths to its advantage. Arrow, which takes place on Earth 1only mentioned Bruce Wayne by name, and hasn’t mentioned Batman at all. Supergirl, which takes place on Earth 38, had Superman talk about a partner with “a lot of gadgets and a lot of demons.” There’s really only one hero he could be talking about. It’s possible that Batman only exists on Earth 38. Maybe in Earth 1, Bruce Wayne never donned the cape. This is just me speculating here, but it’s fun to think about.

Just because there are no plans now though, doesn’t mean it won’t ever happen. Especially if Batwoman is successful. If The CW ever does introduce Batman, it’ll be in a later season, possibly way down the line. Just like Supergirl waited until Season Two to have Superman show up, Batwoman is going to let Kate come into her own as a hero before letting Bruce cramp her style.

Melissa Benoist in Supergirl (Photo via CW)

Speaking of Supergirl, DC is planning to bring her to the big screen. Deadline reports that Warner Bros. and DC are working on a film featuring Kara Zor-El. Not much more is known at this point, other than Oren Uziel is working on the script. He’s the writer behind 22 Jump Street, The Cloverfield Paradox, and the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog and Mortal Kombat movies.

What’s interesting is that the studio is working on this while they still haven’t committed to a proper Man of Steel sequel, despite how much Henry Cavill wants to make one. It’s no secret that DC sees a need to transition into lighter, more fun superhero movies after the dreary Batman v. Superman and the financially disappointing Justice League. And what better way to make the Kryptonians fun than by focusing on the one hero whose been doing it on TV since 2015? DC is said to be looking for a new tone and template for Superman movies. If they can introduce that with Supergirl first, maybe the change won’t be all that jarring when Superman does return in a more lighthearted movie. Assuming they keep Cavill, maybe his cousin can teach him to loosen up a little.

Sadly, we probably can’t expect Melissa Benoist to play the role on the big screen. Warner Bros. still seems intent on keeping The World of DC movies and the Arrowverse separate. They cast a new actor to play The Flash, they’ll do it again for Supergirl, wonderful as Benoist is. They’ll likely cast someone just as perfect for the role, though. Ezra Miller has a very different take on his character than Grant Gustin, but you can’t deny he IS Barry Allen, just as much as Gustin is.

(Via DC Comics)

What’s really exciting about DC right now is they’re realizing just how many movies their making centered on women. DC has always had particularly great superheroines and it’s cool to see them get their big screen due. One movie that keeps sounding better the more we learn about it is Birds of Prey. The Harley Quinn-centered girl gang movie will team her up with Black Canary, Huntress, Renee Montoya and Cassandra Cain. That much, we already knew. Now, we may know who the villain will be.

The Wrap reports that Birds of Preywill send Harley Quinn’s gang up against Black Mask. Often a Batman rogue, Black Mask is a sadistic mob kingpin who’s obsessed with masks. In the comics, he murdered his parents to take control of their company, but went bankrupt because patricide isn’t sufficient preparation for running a business. He blames Wayne enterprises for his failures though, and starts his own criminal gang. His story will probably be tweaked for Birds of Prey, but the villain is a perfect fit for this movie. Margot Robbie has described it as a crime flick. The titular birds aren’t always on the right side of the law. Sending them up against an entitled rich guy with a sadistic streak just sounds appropriate.